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Tuesday, December 24, 2013

The Twelve Crazy Days Before Christmas

The following story, to be told over the 12 days leading up to Christmas, is from a picture book manuscript I wrote years ago. I finally decided to post it here for all of you, and a friend agreed to draw me an elf for each day. Every morning, the latest installment will be added to the bottom of this post.

12 days before Christmas the elves were running 'round
loading up the sleigh with lots of toys.

11 days before Christmas the elves were running 'round
baking sugar cookies,
and loading up the sleigh with lots of toys.

10 days before Christmas the elves were running 'round
taking Dasher flying,
baking chocolate cookies,
and loading up the sleigh with lots of toys.

9 days before Christmas the elves were running 'round
rolling snow for snowmen,
taking Dancer flying,
baking ginger cookies,
and loading up the sleigh with lots of toys.

8 days before Christmas the elves were running 'round
washing Santa's undies,
placing eyes on snowmen,
taking Prancer flying,
baking shortbread cookies,
and loading up the sleigh with lots of toys.

7 days before Christmas the elves were running 'round
trimming trees with white lights,
sewing pants for Santa,
sticking carrots on the snowmen,
taking Vixen flying,
baking oatmeal cookies,
and loading up the sleigh with lots of toys.

6 days before Christmas the elves were running 'round
charting South America,
trimming trees with tinsel,
testing belts for Santa,
pressing buttons on the snowmen,
taking Comet flying,
baking pecan cookies,
and loading up the sleigh with lots of toys.

5 days before Christmas the elves were running 'round
tying bows on every doorknob,
mapping North America,
trimming trees with popcorn,
shaking crumbs from Santa's jacket,
draping scarves around the snowmen,
taking Cupid flying,
baking peanut butter cookies,
and loading up the sleigh with lots of toys.

4 days before Christmas the elves were running 'round
drinking apple cider,
tying bows around the windows,
charting all of Europe,
trimming trees with pinecones,
buffing Santa's boots,
sticking stick-arms on the snowmen,
taking Donner flying,
burning several cookies,
and loading up the sleigh with lots of toys.

3 days before Christmas the elves were running 'round
playing toy pianos,
drinking cocoa with marshmallows,
tying bows around their ladders,
navigating Asia,
trimming trees with angels,
knitting socks for Santa,
handing shovels to the snowmen,
taking Blitzen flying,
baking gumdrop cookies,
and loading up the sleigh with lots of toys.

2 days before Christmas the elves were running 'round
checking off the Nice list,
playing on toy drums...PA-RUM PUM PUM PUM,
drinking lots of eggnog,
tying bows on holly,
planning for Africa,
watering the trimmed trees,
ironing undershirts for Santa,
placing top hats on the snowmen,
shining Rudolph's red nose,
baking chocolate mint-chip cookies,
and loading up the sleigh with lots of toys.

1 day before Christmas the elves were running 'round
watching all their watches,
double-checking who's been naughty,
singing Christmas carols,
drinking lots of pots of coffee,
tying bows around each other,
searching for Australia,
fixing broken tree lights,
helping Santa find his mittens,
dancing with the snowmen,
waking up the reindeer,
eating milk and cookies,
and loading up the sleigh with lots of toys.

And on the night before Christmas, when the sleigh flew away,
the elves went to bed for twelve wonderful, well deserved days.